Controller for lighting-circuits of dynamo-battery equipments.



I v. G. APPLE. CONTROLLER FOR LIGHTING CIRCUITS OF DYNAMO BATTERYEQUIPMENTS. ARPLIOATION FILED MAY 19, 1914.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

V. G. APPLE. CIRCUITS 0P DYNAMO BATTE RY EQ UIPMENTS.

CONTROLLER FOR LIGHTING APPLIOATION FILED MAYIQ, 1914:

. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED erarns Parana canton.

j vmonn'r G. APPLE, or DAYTON, OHIO, assrelvon TO rne APPLE ntnornroCOMPANY,

or DAYTON, onro, A oonronn'rron or 01110.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Application filed May 19, 191%. Serial No. 839,578.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vrxcuxr G. APPLE,

v a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Controllers for Lighting-Circuits of Dynamo-BatteryEquipments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in controllers for the lightingcircuits of dynamo battery equipments, such as used on automobiles,motor boats and the like.

More particularly the invention relates to the controller together witha casing which incloses the battery dynamo regulating apparatus, thecontroller drum and contacts, as Well as an indicating device for informingthe operator as to conditions prevailing in his dynamo batterycirc'uitQ One of the objects of my ihvention is to provide a lightingcircuit controller which shall be operable from the dash or instrumentboard of an automobile, and when the operating key is removed, leave thedash or board smooth and free from projecting parts. v 7

Another object of my invention is to provide a lighting circuitcontroller, regulating apparatus, connections therefor, together with anindicating device all mounted at the rear of the face of the dash so asnot to project from the front surface and inclosed in a compactwatertight casing, a part of which is readily removable for inspection.-

Another object of my invention .is to provide a casing of the characterdescribed, formed as to its major part of a unitary piece of insulatingmaterial such as bakelite,

which shall support the apparatus and form side and bottom walls fromwhich the terminals extend.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simplified system ofwiring for such controller in which the terminals extending from theright side of the casing are all adapted for connection to apparatuspositioned on the right hand side of the longi- 'tudinal axis of thecar, all terminals extending to the left side of the casing lead toapparatus positioned on the left side of the car, and the contactsextending from the bottom are adapted to make connection with thebattery and dynamo, thereby greatly In the drawings: Figure l is a rearview of'the controller with cover and end plate removed. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a frontview of the controller parts which are visible from the front face ofthe board upon which they are mounted. Fig. at is a vertical, sectionalview on the line ll of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of theunitary controller base and supporting casing. Fig. 6 is a diagrammaticrepresentation of the wiring connections extending from the varioustransmitting devices to the sides and bottom of the controller casing.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 10 indicates a dash or instrumentboard of a motor car, motor boat, or the like, to which the controllerunit is to be attached. In work of this nature it is very desirable tohave the front or exposed face of the instrument hoard comparativelyfree from projecting parts in order to give a neat and attractiveappearance and l have therefore so arranged the parts as to position thecontroller casing and its appurtenant apparatus at the rear of the faceof the board concealed from view, with only a flat plate 11 exposed onthe front face of the board. This flat plate 11 is of ovate formcarrying at its upper end the face 12 of the battery dynamo indicator,and at its lower end a circular dial l3 pierced by an axial opening 14,through which extends the controller 0per ating spindle.

In the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated and described Ihave provided six different controller positions whereby the headlights, side lights, and tail light may be given various relations tothe battery dynamo circuits. \Vhen the operating handle or knob 16carried by the spindle 15 is positioned with its pointer end 17extending vertically upward the controller will he in off position andall lights will be extinguished. When moved to the left one notch thehead lights, side lights and tail light will receive full current. Whenmoved to the second position to the left the head lights, side lightsand tall light will be in circuit, the head lights belng 1n series andtherefore reduced in brilliancy; When moved to a position where thepointer is downward, the head lights and tail light are in circuit withthe head lights in series. When swung still farther in a counterclockwise direction into the fourth position the head lights and taillight will be in circult giving full candle power. When moved into thefifth and last position the side lights and tail light alone will be incircui The battery-dynamo indicator 12 at the upper portion of the plate11 is siimlar to that illustrated and described in the pendingapplication filed by Gordon B. Sayre and myself, October 6, 1913, SerialNumber 793,526, and entitled Indicators. The indicator casing 12 is ofdisk like form and carries at its rear face a hollow projector 12shdable within the opening in the collar 18 which projects from the faceof the base 18. A set screw 18 takes through the collar 18 and locks thehollow projection 12 in any desired position, depending on the thicknessof the dash or instrument board 10.

21. The side walls extend Upon the rear face of the instrument board ismounted'the controller casing which incloses thecontroller as well asthe battery dynamo regulating instrumentalities. This casing comprises abase panel or wall 18 having formed integral therewith the bottom wall19 and two side walls 20 and vertically a dis tance somewhat less, thanhalf of the vertical height of the rear wall 18. This portion of. thecasing is formed from bakelite or similar insulating material pressedinto the proper shape as indicated in Fig. 5. Screws 22 extendingthrough from the front of theplate 11 into the rear wall 18 of thecasing, secureboth the plate and casing in position upon the instrumentboard 10.

The controller drum 23, made of fiber or similar insulating material, iscarried upon the shaft 24 journaled at its rear end in an opening 25' inthe wall 18 and at its other end in an opening. 26 in the plate 27 whichPlates 30, 31, and 32,

is secured over the front face of the walls 19, 20 and 21.by the screws28. The rear end of the shaft 24 is reduced in'diameter and providedwith apin 29 to receive the hollow slotted shank of the spindle 15.

cut to shape as indicated in Fig. 6, are positioned around the peripheryof the controller drum for making the proper connections between thebattery dynamo circuit and the various translating instrumentalities.The upper inner' faces of the side walls 20 and 21 are horizontallyslotted as at 33, 34 to receive the bases of the two contact fingers 35,36, 37, 38'

the screws 40-41 for making the connection to be hereinafter described.The spring finger engages at the rear end of the controller drum with aseries of indentations 45 in the plate 30 which are in the presentinstance six in number, thereby insuring proper positioning of thecontroller drumfor the six different circuit arrangements provided. thecontroller on its lower side at the end opposite to that engaged by thefinger 45 and is secured to the wall 21 by means of the bolt 48. In Fig.5 I have indicated the openings in the casing through which extend thevarious screws for holding the spring contact fingers in place, byapplying the exponent prime to the numerals indicating the screws, thusfor example the screw 39 takes through the opening 39 and thescrew 48takes through the'opening 48'.

The binding posts 39, 40, 41, :42, 43' and 46 are arranged inthevertical walls 20 and 21 on a horizontal line adjacent the upperedges. A companion set of terminals 46 41 and 43 are positioned in thewall 20 on a horizontal line below that upon which the companionterminals are positioned and similarly in'the other wall 21 a companionset of terminals 39*, 40*, and 48 are positioned. The terminal 48connected with spring finger 47 is likewise connected with the terminals40, 39*, 46, and 41" the medium of the metallic strip 49. A second strip50 connects the terminal 46 with terminal 43*.

Upon the bottom wall 19 of arranged the five battery and dynamoterminals as indicated in Fig. 6. The two battery terminals 51, 52, arepositioned at the corners of the bottom 19 adjacent the instrument board10, whereas the three dynamo terminals are positioned with one, 53, atthe center,'and the other two, 54, at the outer corners. A shortresistance coil R connects terminal 55 with terminal 53 and a strip 56connects terminal 51 with terminal 54. Wires 57, 58, 59, and 60 extendfrom terminals, 51, 53, 55, and 52', upward to the two relay magnets 61and 61 carried on the upper end of the wall 18. As in my Patent 'No.1,070,657 entitled Controlling switch, issued August 19th, 1913, thesetwo relay magnets serve to regulate the relationship between the dynamoand battery. The re- A sixth finger 47 engages with through the casingare" messes lay magnet 61 provides an automatic means for cutting thedynamo into circuit with the storage batteries at the time when theelectro-motor force, of the dynamo equals or exceeds that of thebatteries. The other relay magnet 61 serves as a means for decreasingthe electro-motive force, at a given speed of the dynamo, when thestorage batteries have been partially or completely charged therebyautomatically decreasing the current supplied to the batteries when theyno longer require the full current that can be produced by the dynamo.The armature (32 of the magnet 61 which throws the dynamo on or oil theline is connected to one end of a lever 3 pivoted on the pin 64. Theother endof the lever 63 extends through the hollow projection 12 and isconnected to the movable part of the indicator 12. This particularindicator 12, when the dynamo is in circuit, reads On and when out ofcircuit reads Off as illustrated in Fig. 3, and is described and claimedin my copending application before referred to.

In the wiring diagram Fig. 6 1 have not indicated the connections withthe relay magnets 61 and 61 as this wiring arrangement has already beenshown in my issued patent. I have therefore indicated themdiagrammatically showing the wire 57 extending from the terminal 51 asrunning into the coil 61 and coming out on the lead wire 65. which inturn is connected to terminal 43 This suiliciently illustrates thecircuit of the controller and enables one to follow the path of thecurrent when the battery is serving as a source of supply.

It will be noted, particularly in Fig. 6 that the wiring terminals forconnectingthe controller with the battery, dynamo and varioustranslating instrumentalities, are so arranged that the contacts for thedynamo and batteries a re symmetrically positioned upon the lower wallor base 19 of the casing, the contacts for the tail light,-side lightsand head light H" are positioned upon one side 21 whereas theconnections for the horn side lights and head. light H are positionedupon the wall 20. This symmetrical arrangement of terminals permits onewho is not particularly versed in electrical matte s to readily connectup the system as all of the terminals from one side wall extend toinstruinentalities' positioned at that side of the car and the contactson the other side extend to the instrui'nentalities positioned onarrange mot and wiring up of a car.

in mounting the controller it is necessary to make but two holes in the,instrument board. 12 of a diameter equal to the indicator l2 and 1% toreceive the end of controller shaft 24.

A metallic hood extends over the tops of the magnetsfil and 61contacting with he outer edges of the Vertical Wallis and extends downover the upper edges of the wallsQO and 21, thus entirely closing'thevarious instrumentalities and protectlng them from dust and the weather.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A controller for the lighting circuit of an automobile dynamo-batterysystem comprising, a casing having side walls and a bottom wall; acontroller drum and contacts within said casing; terminals carried byone sidewall of the casing for connection with the lights on one side ofthe automobile; terminals on the other side wall of the casing forconnection with the lights on the other side of the automobile; andterminals on the bottom wall for connection with the battery and dynamo.

2. A controller, adapted to be Carried at the rear face of an instrumentboard; a controller drum therein; means on the front face of theinstrument board for operating the controller drum; an indicator with aface approximately flush with the front face of the board and positionedwithin an opening therein; a rearward extension on said indicator; andmeans carried by the casing for adjustably securing the rearwardextension thereto.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of acasing adapted to be secured to the rear face of an instrument board; anindicator positioned within an opening in the board with its faceapproximately fiush with the front face of the board; an extensioncarried by the indicator extending rearwardly through an opening in thecasing; and means on the casing for adjustably securing the extensionthereto to compensate for the varying thickness of such boards.

4:. A controller for the lighting circuit of an automobile dynamobattery system comprising a casing adapted to be secured to the rearface of an instrument board; an indicator plate positioned on the frontface of the casing; means securing both the plate and casing to theboard; an indicator device registering with an opening in the plate andpositioned within an opening in the board with its face approximatelyflush with the front face of the board; means carried by L the casingresponsive to changes in the bat the other side of the car. Thiseliminates i any crossing of the wiring outside of the controllzrcasingQand greatly simplifies the terry-dynamo circuit for operating theindicater, an extension on the indicator extending rearwardly through anopening in the casing and adapted to receive a part of said indicatoroperating means; and means carried by the casing for adjustably securingthe said extension thereto.

5. A controller comprising a casing hav ing integral rear and side wallsforfiiedi' f in the side Walls and journaled at one end in the rearwall; a plate covering the front end of the side walls, the front end ofthe controller drum bein journaled therein; and a detachable h00overlying the edges of'the rear and side walls and completing theinclosure.

7. A controller for the fighting circuit of copies of this patent mly beobtained tor flve cents each. by addressing the walhing'ton, D. 0.

I bottom an automobile dynamo-battery system comprising, acasing havingside walls and a wall; a-plurality of switches within said casing;terminals carried by one side wall of-th'e casing for connection withthe lights on one side of the automobile; terminals on the other sidewall of the casing for connectionwith the lights on the other the bottomwall for tery and dynamo.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

VINCENT G. APPLE. In the presence of- E. V. MARTIN, M. N. OCoNNoR.

Commissioner of Patents,

connection with the batside of the automobile; and terminals on

